Male Pistachio tree named ‘Randy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of pistachio tree denominated ‘Randy’ is described. This cultivar is an early flowering male that will be used as a pollenizer for ‘Golden Hills’ and ‘Lost Hills’. It has excellent flowering synchrony with ‘Golden Hills’ and ‘Lost Hills’ and can be used to cover the earlier part of the ‘Kerman’ flowering period during seasons in which ‘Kerman’ flowering is extended. This generally occurs during seasons of low chill, which are expected to become more frequent in the future due to continued global warming ‘Peters’, the standard male used to pollenize ‘Kerman’, often flowers too late to cover the earlier part of the ‘Kerman’ bloom period under these conditions. ‘Randy’ was selected for high pollen viability, durability, and a high level of pollen production (based on visual evaluation). ‘Randy’ flowers 2 to 4 weeks earlier than ‘Peters’, the standard pollenizer for ‘Kerman’. ‘Peters’ flowers too late to be a very effective pollinator for the new cultivars.

Botanical/commercial classification: (Pistacia vera)/new Pistachio variety.

Variety denomination: ‘Randy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Pistachio tree Pistacia vera which has been denominated varietally as ‘Randy,’ and more particularly to such a pistachio tree which has a flowering date of seven to ten days earlier than the industry standard pistachio tree variety ‘Peters’.

‘Randy’ provides a good quantities of relatively durable and viable pollen. It has a good flowering overlap period with ‘Golden Hills’, described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,158, ‘Lost Hills’, described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,701, and ‘Kerman’ female cultivars and would be used as a pollenizer for these cultivars. ‘Randy’ is more precocious than ‘Peters’, flowering one or two years before ‘Peters’. It would be advantageous to plant ‘Randy’ with ‘Kerman’ to provide adequate pollination for ‘Kerman’ trees newly coming into bearing and in situations of low chilling when ‘Kerman’ and ‘Peters’ may demonstrate poor synchrony for pollination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was found that the new cultivar exhibits the following combination of characteristics as compared to ‘Peters’, the industry standard: a) ‘Randy’ flowers 1 to 3 weeks earlier than ‘Peters’; b) ‘Randy’ has significantly more buds per cm branch length and more spur branches than ‘Peters’, suggesting that ‘Randy’ produces many more male inflorescences per tree (and presumably more pollen) than ‘Peters’; c) ‘Randy’ has more durable pollen than ‘Peters’. The pollen stays viable for a longer period, which increases the effective amount of viable pollen available for pollination at any given time; d) Randy has appropriate flowering period overlap for ‘Golden Hills’ and ‘Lost Hills’. ‘Peters’ flowers too late to serve as a pollenizer for these earlier flowering cultivars; and e) ‘Randy’ also has significantly larger buds than ‘Peters’.

‘Randy’ has been asexually reproduced in Kern County, Calif. and Madera County, Calif. ‘Randy’ was propagated from buds, inserted into both PG-1 and UCB-1 rootstocks (budded onto). The cultivar is present at field Locations in Kern County, Calif. and Madera County, Calif. (test plots). In addition 2 trees have been budded on UCB-1 rootstocks in pots at Davis for planting into the field this spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. Comparison photo of ‘Randy’ and ‘Peters’

FIG. 2 a. ‘Randy’ Inflorescences on Tree — 3/31/004

FIG. 2 b. ‘Randy’ Inflorescences on Tree — 3/31/2004

FIG. 3 a. ‘Peters’ Inflorescences on Tree — 3/31/2004.

FIG. 3 b. ‘Peters’ Inflorescences on Tree — 3/31/2004.

FIG. 4. ‘Randy’ tree taken on 4/11/02 at the Kern Co. test plot near Lost Hills.

FIG. 5. ‘Randy’ at the Kern Co. advanced selection test plot, on 3/27/03.

FIG. 6. Standardized comparison of ‘Randy’ and ‘Peters’ inflorescence and new leaves — 3/31/2004.

FIG. 7. Two ‘Peters’ trees flanking ‘Randy’ tree in center. Note larger tree size and large number of spur branches for ‘Randy’.

FIG. 8A. ‘Randy’ branch showing spurs.

FIG. 8B. ‘Peters’ branch showing lack of spur branching.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description describes the key characteristics of the new male pistachio cultivar named ‘Randy’ as well as references to the standard pistachio cultivar ‘Peters’ used as a pollenizer in California.

-   The cross: The cross that produced ‘Randy’ was made in 1990, and the     progeny planted in 1991. The cross is between a Pistacia vera female     ‘2-35’, located in Kern County and propagated from buds supplied to     Joseph Maranto from a plot at Davis in 1985, and a Pistacia vera     male ‘ES#3’ originally from Chico, Calif. ES#3 is no longer     available. This seedling was designated as B15-31. In 1997, a     replicated yield trail was established near Lost Hills, Calif. In     this plot, ‘Randy’ was budded onto either UCB-1 or PG-1 rootstock     planted at the ends of alternate rows (alternating with ‘Peters’     male) between the female replicates. ‘Randy’ first flowered in 2000.     A second replicated yield trail was established north of Fresno in     September 1999. In this plot, ‘Randy’ is located at the ends of the     rows, in alternate rows with ‘Peters’ and grafted to UCB-1 or PG-1     rootstocks. In this plot ‘Randy’ flowered in 2003. ‘Randy’ is stable     and produces true to type in successive generations of asexual     reproduction.

‘Randy’ may be distinguished from the female parent through examination of the flowers and flower buds, as all Pistacia vera are dioecious. Therefore all flowers in the ‘Randy’ inflorescence are staminate whereas the female parent, and all female pistachios have only pistillate flowers. Prior to annual flowering, ‘Randy’ may be distinguished from the female parent and all other female pistachios by examination of the flower buds, which are larger and more rounded than female flower buds. Randy buds are globular to conical whereas female inflorescence buds are cylindrical to ovate and distinctly pointed (obtuse) at the apical end of the buds. Male flower buds are generally larger than female flower buds.

-   Tree vigor: The tree is of average size for a pistachio, based on     observation of 7 year old trees. Grafted trees are about 3 m tall at     7 years with a spread equal to the height. Trunk diameters are 10 to     15 cm, as measured at a trunk height of one meter. It is expected     that ‘Randy’ will eventually be a larger tree than the female     ‘Kerman’. See FIGS. 4-5. ‘Randy’ is a significantly larger tree     based on measured cross sectional area than ‘Peters’, although there     may be some confounding rootstock effect for this character (ANOVA     below). Close up photo evaluation of trunk lenticels was undertaken.     Trunk lenticels were reddish-brown RHS138A,B to grey RHS201D in     color. Trunk lenticels are two to four times wider than long and     tend to become arranged in horizontal rows as trunk size increases.     Trunk lenticel height ranged from 1.5 mm to 2 mm, width ranged from     2 mm to 5 mm. However, no obvious or significant differences in     pattern, number, or appearance were seen between ‘Randy’ and     ‘Peters’. See Tables 1 and 2 and FIG. 7.

TABLE 1 ANOVA Table for xsec. area Sum of Mean F- P- Lamb- Pow- DF Squares Square Value Value da er Culti- 1 8413324.610 8413324.610 12.291 .880 12.281 .876 var Resi- 5 5476071.158   884508.895 dual Means Table for xsec area Effect: Cultivar Count Mean Std. Dev. Std. Err. Peters 5 3239.631 299.597 134.028 Randy 5 5074.114 1131.017 505.806

TABLE 2 Fisher's PLSD for xsec. area Effect: Cultivar Significance Level: 5% Mean Diff. Crit. Diff. P-Value Peters, Randy −1834.484 1208.645 .0080

-   Tree structure: ‘Randy’ has tree structure and branching habit     typical for Pistacia vera L. (FIGS. 4 and 5). Branch angles are     broad, ranging from 80 to 90 degrees for both scaffold and lateral     branches (FIG. 2 b). Distribution of scaffold and lateral branches     is a function of pruning and training activities which are practiced     intensively during the first three years of growth. Branch lenticels     are grey RHS201D, scattered, oval to round, and one to two times     wider than long. The branch lenticels are smaller than the trunk     lenticels (width from 1-2 mm wide, height from <1 mm to 1 mm). -   Flower buds: ‘Randy’ has significantly more buds per cm branch     length than ‘Peters’. 10 branches were measured on each of 5 trees     of ‘Randy’ and ‘Peters’. ANOVAs were run as a completely random     design (observations not grouped by tree). See Tables 3 and 4.

TABLE 3 ANOVA Table for buds/cm Sum of Mean F- P- Lamb- Pow- DF Squares Square Value Value da er Cultivar 1 1.973 1.973 109.442 <0001 109.442 1.000 Residual 98 1.787 .018 Means Table for buds/cm Effect: Cultivar Count Mean Std. Dev. Std. Err. Peters 50 .187 .124 .018 Randy 50 .468 .144 .020

TABLE 4 Fisher's PLSD for buds/cm Effect: Cultivar Significance Level: 6% Mean Diff. Crit. Diff. P-Value Peters, Randy −.281 .053 <0001

‘Randy’ had more than twice as many buds per cm of flowering branch as ‘Peters’. While this was not quantified, it was also observed that Randy has more spur branches than ‘Peters’. See FIGS. 8A and 8B. This effect is quite pronounced, and diagnostic. The larger number of spur branches and buds/cm of branch means that ‘Randy’ produces many more male inflorescences per tree (and presumably more pollen) than ‘Peters.’

‘Randy’ also has significantly larger buds than ‘Peters’. 10 buds per tree were measured for width by length in mm. Length values for both sets of data were similar and non-significantly different, but ‘Randy’ buds were about 20% wider than ‘Peters’ buds, resulting in highly significant volume differences. See Tables 5 and 6.

TABLE 5 ANOVA Table for bud vol (mm{circumflex over ( )}3) Sum of Mean F- P- Lamb- Pow- DF Squares Square Value Value da er Cultivar 1 171.185 171.185 57.565 <.0801 57.565 1.000 Resi- 88 281.427 2.074 dual ANOVA Table for bud I (mm) Sum of Mean F- P- Lamb- Pow- DF Squares Square Value Value da er Cultivar 1 .640 .840 .708 .4023 .708 .127 Resi- 88 88.626 .904 dual ANOVA Table for bud w Sum of Mean F- P- Lamb- Pow- DF Squares Square Value Value da er Cultivar 1 138.240 138.240 78.116 <.0001 79.118 1.000 Resi- 88 172.476 1.760 dual

Means Table for bud vol (mm{circumflex over ( )}3) Effect: Cultivar Count Mean Std. Dev. Std. Err. Peters 50 4.228 1.336 .192 Randy 50 6.643 2.027 .287 Means Table for bud 1 (mm) Effect: Cultivar Count Mean Std. Dev. Std. Err. Peters 50 11.424 .841 .133 Randy 50 11.254 .981 .138 Means Table for bud w Effect: Cultivar Count Mean Std. Dev. Std. Err. Peters 50 8.482 1.258 .178 Randy 50 10.842 1.593 .197

-   Inflorescences: Female inflorescences are born laterally alternately     on branches, rarely as terminal buds. They are located on one year     old wood. The flower buds form a branched compound inflorescence of     the panicle form. Individual flowers are 0.5 mm to 1 mm in size. All     flowers are male. The panicles are 3 to 7 cm long with considerable     variation in size. Flower development is from base to tip of the     panicle and typically spans a 3 week period, depending on weather     conditions during individual seasons. Panicles are yellow as is the     pollen. Tips of the panicles are tinged red prior to opening of     individual flowers. FIGS. 1 and 6 show a comparison of ‘Randy’ vs.     ‘Peters’ inflorescences. FIGS. 2 a and b show ‘Randy’ inflorescences     on the tree and FIGS. 3 a and b show ‘Peters’ inflorescences on the     same date (3/31/04). FIG. 6 shows a standardized comparison of     ‘Randy’ and ‘Peters’ inflorescence and new leaves. Expanding ‘Randy’     inflorescences are red RHS52B, C to 54A (Red group) about 2 weeks     prior to anthesis. At anthesis, flowers are yellow green RHS 145C to     154D (Yellow green group) trending to yellow RHS2D, 3D (Yellow     group), many with a reddish pink tip where exposed to the sun     RHS52A, 50A. This color may manifest in the folds of the anther     lobes as well. ‘Randy’ flowers had 5 to 6 stamens per flower, 0.5 to     1 mm long at anthesis, with 4 lobed anthers, colors are as described     above. Anthers are cylindrical (0.1-0.2 mm wide), tapering slightly     to a blunt cuspidate to rounded tip. -   Pollen viability: Pollen viability was measured with hanging drop     slides in 1996. ‘Randy’ has highly viable and durable pollen.     Initial readings (4/30/96) were 75% viable declining to 35% viable     after 29 days of storage. ‘Peters’ initial viability was 45%,     declining to 5% to 15% after 24 to 27 days. The pollen produced by     appears to be more than that produced by ‘Peters’. -   Flowering date: ‘Randy’ flowers 1 to 3 weeks to earlier than     ‘Peters’. It is characterized by a relatively long bloom period, in     excess of 2 weeks, a characteristic that ‘Peters’ shares. Most male     pistachios have a flowering period of about one week. Peak flowering     is a week earlier than for ‘Kerman’, approximately 2-3 days earlier     than for ‘Kerman’ when sprayed with Volck supreme oil (470 wt) in     2003 and approximately one week earlier than ‘Peters’ depending on     chilling hours. (Oil sprays are used to advance flowering by the     industry and tend to compress the bloom period).     -   -   Data from seedling test plot in Kern Co.—1995: For ‘Randy’ —             peak flowering 3/18/95 to 3/24/95 1996: For ‘Randy’ — 4/3/96             to 4/10/96; for ‘Peters’ —4/23/96 to 5/3/96 1997: For             ‘Randy’ — first flowering 3/24/97, peak flowering 4/1/97 to             4/4/97, last flowering 4/7/97 to 4/10/97 1998: For ‘Randy’ —             first flowering 3/30/98-4/5/98, peak flowering             4/6/98-4/12/98, last flowering 4/13/98 to 4/20/98 1999: For             ‘Randy’ — first flowering 3/8/99 to 3/12/99, peak flowering             3/15/99 to 3/19/99, last flowering 3/22/99 to 3/26/99 2000;             For ‘Randy’ — first flowering 4/3/00 to 4/7/00

Data from grafted test plot in Kern Co. Trees were grafted on either ‘UCB1’ or ‘Pioneer Gold 1’ rootstocks. Visits to the two experimental sites were made at intervals of three to four days through the bloom period. In 2004 (8^(th) year since grafting), a bloom-rating of 1 through 6 was used with 1=dormant; 2=early bloom, 3=mid bloom, 4=full bloom and 5=late bloom. Bloom evaluation is subjective; the number of individual flowers in bloom within an inflorescence varies, as does the degree of flowering at different locations along a branch. Full bloom was an estimate of when the maximum number of receptive stigmas was present on the tree. On Mar. 25, 2004, ‘Randy’ was past full bloom (4.5), ‘Peters’ was at early bloom (2.5).

-   Quantity of inflorescences: A visual score (low, medium, and high)     was used to evaluate the 656 male seedlings at the Kern Co. seedling     plot in 1997 and 1998. ‘Randy’ was scored as having a high number of     inflorescences. -   Leaves: Leaves are simple compound imparapinnate with 1 to 2 pairs     of oppositely arranged leaflets. Leaves are 10 cm to 15 cm long with     5 cm to 8 cm leaflets. Leaves vary considerably in shape, in general     being ovate with cuspidate to rounded tips and rounded base. Margins     of leaf blades are entire. Leaf surfaces are glabrous, smooth and     waxy. Leaflet upper and lower surfaces are the same in color,     RHS138B, with the midrib vein RHS 145B, C in color. Petioles vary in     color from RHS138A,B to RHS139C,D, with some having a tinge of     purple-red RHS46A, near the base. Petioles are 2 to 4 cm long from     the point of branch attachment to the basal leaflet. They are     usually about 2/3 the length of the basal leaflet. They are shiny     and glabrous with a few glands, somewhat angular in cross section     but without wings.     -   -   Leafing date.—1997: For ‘Randy’ — first leafing 4/7/97 to             4/10/97 1998: For ‘Randy’ — first leafing 4/13/98 to 4/20/98             1999: For ‘Randy’ — first leafing 3/15/99 to 3/19/99 2000:             For ‘Randy’ — first leafing 4/3/00 to 4/7/00

‘Randy’ flowers earlier than ‘Kerman’ and, like ‘Peters’ has durable pollen. ‘Randy’ will be a superior pollenizer for the new female varieties ‘Golden Hills’ and ‘Lost Hills’ or any other variety which flowers up to 10 days earlier than Kerman. ‘Randy’ males would be useful in existing ‘Kerman’ orchards during seasons of low chilling or for other conditions when the flowering synchrony is poor, as ‘Peters’ is the tree that most often demonstrates flowering delay. ‘Randy’ grows quickly and is one to two years more precocious than ‘Peters’, which is a significant advantage in new orchards just coming into bearing.

-   Disease and pest traits: Pest and disease resistance in ‘Randy’     appear to be similar to ‘Peters’ (the standard Pistachio male     cultivar), except that we did not observed as much ‘Peters scorch’,     which is considered to be a physiological condition in which leaf     margins turn dry and brown at the end of the growing season. ‘Randy’     is expected to be susceptible to Verticullium wilt (V. dahliae) if     planted on its own roots, which is not done. No rootstock     incompatibility was observed. Botrysophaeria dothidea and Alternaria     alternate (pistachio shoot and leaf diseases) have not been     evaluated since conditions were not favorable for disease     development at the test plots. -   Hardiness zone: In the test locations, ‘Randy’ has been exposed to     low temperatures of −7 deg. C. and high temperatures of 46 deg. C.     for at least 1 hour with no observable damage, −4 deg. C. to 44     deg. C. for at least 6 hours with no observable damage. Test plots     for ‘Randy ’ are located in USDA hardiness zone 9a (20 deg. F. to 25     deg. F. low temperatures: −7 deg. C. to −4 deg. C.). Sunset     Magazine® classifies P. vera in their climate zones 7-12, 14, 15,     18-21. Sunset zone 7 has typical winter lows of −13 deg. C. to −5     deg. C. Sunset zone 12 mean daily high temperatures are 38 deg. C.     to 40 deg. C. 

1. A new and distinct variety of pistachio tree substantially as shown and described herein. 